Are members of Congress on the verge of doing the unthinkable and voting to rescind the 2009 pay raises they handed themselves last year?
Perhaps. Shame is a powerful emotion.
Under the current system, members of Congress get a "cost-of-living" raise each year unless they specifically vote to turn it down. Not only is this gimmick an affront to the 27th Amendment (an argument for another day), it serves to protect beltway politicians from being forced to cast a controversial vote. The 2009 trigger kicked in last year, meaning members are slated to see their pay raise 2.8 percent this coming year to $174,000. This despite the fact that the body had a lower approval rating than President George W. Bush.
"The general public can't help but think that lawmakers are patting themselves on the back and padding their wallets for presiding over the worst fiscal policy blunders in recent history," said Pete Sepp of the National Taxpayers Union.
Several members -- including four members of the Indiana delegation -- have said they won't accept the pay raise. Others -- including California Sen. Dianne Feinstein -- say they'll donate the difference to charity.
But given that few on Capitol Hill will actually defend the pay hikes, why not set a vote to kill the increases? It's just plain bad form for members to beef up their own paychecks at a time when the economy is in recession and many Americans are struggling to make ends meet.
Congress reconvenes on Tuesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should schedule a quick and easy vote on the matter for early next week.
Otherwise, they should go before the cameras and explain why they won't.
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